The subject matter herein relates generally to device control modules for making a non-demand management system capable electrical device demand responsive, such as to a demand management system or other demand response or load curtailment systems.
Demand management systems allow utility companies and/or consumers to control energy use and energy cost using smart electrical devices, such as home appliances, electronics, and the like. The demand management system provides technology and systems that allow the utility companies or consumers to automatically manage energy use and cost. The demand management system controls when and how the smart electrical devices are operated, such as to manage energy use more efficiently and enables consumers to save money. Examples of smart electrical devices include hot water heaters, furnaces with AC compressor control, heat pumps with electric heating elements, pool pumps and heaters, electric vehicle chargers, and the like.
Currently, there are a large number of electrical devices that are not able to connect to the demand management system, such as because the electrical devices use a non-electronic based control system or a control system that is incapable of communicating with the demand management system. Typical examples of such devices are electro-mechanical devices that lack control electronics. These devices will continue to represent a large portion of the market for many years. The cost of making such devices compatible with a demand management system capable of communicating with the demand management system is significant. The cost of converting the entire control system of such devices to electronic based systems that are demand management system compliant is a hurdle to manufacturing.
A need remains for modules that allow interconnection and intercommunication of non-demand management system capable electrical devices with the demand management system.